Vampyr (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Best Action Games of Q2 2018
DontNod has made a name for themselves with the narrative adventure game Life is Strange, but Vampyr is a different beast altogether. The game tells the story of Jonathan Reid, a doctor returning from the front of World War I back to his home in London. He finds a city wracked by the Spanish Flu epidemic, and after he’s killed one night, discovers a supernatural world as well.
Jonathan’s new vampiric abilities play directly into the game’s story and combat system. There are some tough choices to make if you want to spare the humans Jonathan meets or harvest them and get more blood to use on leveling up his abilities. Combat in Vampyr is pretty standard and similar to a Souls game, giving you different weapons to use on top of supernatural abilities. You can bite enemies and suck their blood on the spot, which will let you use abilities like shooting out a blood lance to impale someone. Vampyr’s combat may not be as exceptional as something like God of War, but the game’s narrative and world are riveting and a joy to see through.
